1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to deep fat fryers generally, and more particularly, to a cooking medium management system which manipulates a cooking medium and method for managing a cooking medium during cooking operations.
2. Description of the Related Art
Large capacity, pressurized, deep fat fryers are known in the art and have been devised for cooking products in a heated or pressurized environment, or both. Typically, such devices may include a cooking vessel, referred to as a frypot, which may be filled with a cooking medium, such as oil, shortening, water, or the like, and heating devices surrounding or immersed in the vessel, or both, for heating the cooking medium. Products to be cooked are placed in the cooking vessel, either directly or in a container, such as a basket, and are cooked for a desired length of time.
These fryers may have a temperature probe, a heating element, a level indicator, a drain pan, and a temperature selector enabling an operator to select a desired cooking temperature. Moreover, the fryers may have a transfer means for introducing the cooking medium into the cooking device and removing used cooking medium from the cooking device when needed. This transfer means may also transfer the cooking medium from the cooking vessel to the drain pan and vice versa. Control means controls the heating device(s) in different modes of operation corresponding to the different stages of preparing food products. Further, the control means controls transfers means in accordance with the type of operation to be performed. For example, the transfer means may transfer the cooking medium from the frypot to the drain pan to be filtered.
These fryers also provide for proper maintenance of the cooking medium. Specifically, if shortening is used, it is necessary to filter the shortening periodically to maintain cooking quality due to the absorption of oils and odor associated with the cooked food products, and degradation of the shortening caused by breakdown due to heat, extended use, and other factors. Thus, the cooking medium is drained periodically in order to be filtered.
These fryers also must be primed after periods of non-use. Usually, stratified shortening left over from a previous use is blended in a "polishing" procedure. By polishing, a cooking device may produce a quality tasting food product, even with the first few batches.
Currently, these different operations are handled manually by operators. In other systems, the host processor is responsible for directing operations within the system. Host processor failure or operator error prevents shortening management on all the fryers controlled by these systems. In addition, operator intervention is required at every level of the different operations, which increases operating costs and may adversely affect personnel safety.